Adapted from an earlier thread:

I have to say, I was really bummed to hear Luke's announcement this morning that he's leaving the show next month. While I totally understand the need to be closer to his kid, the more selfish part of me is like "Wait, I finally get a morning show I really really like and now it's changing? I had a hard enough time when they switched the top of the hour music out!" Now I know what people must have been like when Katie left the Today show.

In all seriousness, I think Luke's sensibility is the key to the BPP, and I hope that whoever replaces him is on a similar wavelength. NPR has a nasty habit of introducing New! Different! shows that they then focus-group into bland mediocrity. (My wife has pointed out that one of the two shows I mention here is actually syndicated by PRI: however, the point stands that both shows suck in pretty much exactly the same way.) I really hope that this isn't the fate that befalls the BPP.

Sent by Stewart | 1:29 PM ET | 11-13-2007

What a bummer, we'll miss you Luke!

Sent by Benjamin Frisch | 1:40 PM ET | 11-13-2007

I refuse to believe that this a sane, principled decision by a loving father.
This must be part of a vast Icelandic conspiracy. Be warned Luke, you trash Sigur Ros, you've got to change jobs. You trash Bijork, you may have change identities. Mazel Tov!

Sent by Petro | 1:44 PM ET | 11-13-2007

While I will miss Luke Burbank on the BPP, I really respect the decision that he felt he had to make. I would like to thank him for making the announcement in such an honest manner.
I was crestfallen at first, but then the sly humor of his farewell crept in, and I ended the piece with a smile on my face. It is the effortless and spontaneous, yet smart comments from Mr. Burbank that I will miss the most. Our (the listeners) loss, is most certainly Mr. Burbank's family's gain. They most be very proud of him, as I think we all should be. Thanks for everything Mr. Burbank! Maybe you could still guest host "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" every once in a while? Please...??

Sent by elphring | 2:12 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Good luck Luke! I'll definitely miss you and your low-key humor (hey-oh). Surely this wasn't cause you missed too many early morning meetings, right?

Sent by alice | 2:18 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Wow, I wasn't expecting that, and I wasn't expecting to get a little choked up.

Sent by Missy | 2:35 PM ET | 11-13-2007

At least Luke went on his own terms and the NPR brass didn't have to fire him. Management keeps tinkering with the show's formula and makes it more "NPR"/boring everyday.

Sent by Joshua | 2:42 PM ET | 11-13-2007

@Joshua:
Do you have some sort of inside information? If so, please share it with us? [or on the facebook page free of brass tinkering] Could it be that it's a new show's attempt to fine-tune itself after it's leap from the internet?

Sent by Petro | 2:58 PM ET | 11-13-2007

I'm so sad to hear that Luke is leaving the BPP. This is by far my favorite show on NPR and my favorite morning show in general! I live in Los Angeles and dont get to hear the BPP in real time - but every morning when I get into work I'm sure to listen to the entire show on my computer. I love Luke's sense of humor and the way he looks at the news of the day. I also really appreciate that he doesn't take himself too seriously - it's refreshing on NPR! Best of luck Luke - you'll be missed!! PS - what's he going to be doing in Seattle (job-wise)?

Sent by Elyse | 3:34 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Petro -- we are always trying to fine-tune ourselves. I have no idea why Josh thinks the NPR brass has its mitts all over the show. It's the BPP staff that's constantly tinkering with it. We are in pursuit of perfection and most days we don't find it or even come near it! So we get up the next day and try to do it again, better. On a personal note, I am bummed out about Luke leaving too -- when this thing started it was just the two of us in an office in Washington, D.C. dreaming about what this thing could be. Luke really did help me make this show up, and I'm glad he was next to me for the ride. And, it continues! So, I'm off to bed so I'm not crap for tomorrow's show.

Sent by Matt Martinez | 4:03 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Sorry to hear you will be leaving Luke. Your farewell video was fantastic. Not only did you look like an extra kind of special in your Boys2Men-Slow-Mo, the sentimental eating for the camera shot will not be one I can easily delete from my memory. Thanks for that.

Sent by Margaret | 4:10 PM ET | 11-13-2007

NO!!!! Luke you are an incredible reporter and an even better host. Your daughter, your family, indeed the whole of Seattle are gaining (or regaining?) a tremendous asset. You will be dearly missed. You've been here from the start of the BPP when you and Matt were set loose with a video recorder on the streets of New York. Thanks for your color commentary, your humor, and your true passion for your work. I hope you'll at least drop by the BPP from time to time.

And Matt, now that I know you guys changed your own music opening. I gotta ask. WHY? I loved the old opening - the new one, not so much. Bring back the old opener!!!

Sent by Tameika | 5:15 PM ET | 11-13-2007

That's terrible. He's the really best thing about the show. Can't he do it from remote? I do not think the show will hold up without him...

Sent by Henry Kissinger | 5:39 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Luke,
I think for any journalist/host/producer/whatever, the job can easily get in the way of close relationships. There are many people in your line of work who choose their careers over their families, and even though listeners will miss your perky on-air presence, I commend you on making such an important and worthwhile decision. Thanks for helping organize such an awesome public radio show bound to live on for years to come.

Best of luck!

Sent by Sean Powers | 5:45 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Great show, I'm bummed to hear you're leaving it.

Sent by Chris | 5:55 PM ET | 11-13-2007

I thought that was wild, Luke just got the BPP off the ground and now he's leaving. I have to take my hat off to him though. He knows what's really important and that's what he is putting first. I can imagine though it's probably also pretty hard walking away from probably the only chance you'll get to host a national show, but like I said, I respect him for that. Welcome back to the NW Luke and hopefully we'll still hear from you on Wait, Wait. Why don't you come and work for OPB?

Sent by Al | 6:23 PM ET | 11-13-2007

The farewell video was wonderful. I laughed. I cried. I felt, in a nutshell, all of the things that it is to be human.

Luke will be sorely missed, amusing segues and all.

Sent by Will G | 6:26 PM ET | 11-13-2007

I discovered the BPP about a month ago and my morning commute has been transformed. I look forward to getting into the car and tuning into my favorite show. I know I'm going to get a brilliantly sharp hour from Luke, Alison, Rachel, Matt and the rest. When I heard Luke telling the listeners he was leaving I have to admit, I felt a little down. And yet I understand him the word that resonated was priorities. It's a double edged sword because that only makes me like Luke Burbank more. It's difficult but I hope they find a worthy replacement and that Luke gets to do a lot of guest spots. He can however maybe do the show remotely and become semi-nocturnal wake up at midnight in Seatle. All joking aside Luke does a great job and he is a part of that magical chemical equation that makes the show so witty and smart.

Sent by Mari | 8:01 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Over these past few months of listening to Luke on the BPP, I've often felt like the character Nora from Pump Up The Volume listening to the dreamy Christian Slater speak the forbidden truth on his pirated radio station. With your departure, that vision must end???
TALK HARD!

Sent by Emily | 10:42 PM ET | 11-13-2007

Luke, we poured a 40 on the curb for you tonight. I hope to hear you "Wait, Wait..." sometime again.

Best of luck!

Sent by Jeff Kilpatrick | 12:30 AM ET | 11-14-2007

hey luke! was disappointed with the news and will definitely miss you on the air, but all my respect for your decision. i'm sure it was a hard one, but nice that you put your heart in first place.

on another note -- what's the deal with the big hoopla about the damned sigur ros interview? i was on one of those NPR listener surveys and they asked for our response to the interview. i'll admit that though i did find the interview and the way it was used a bit unorthodox (especially for NPR, which tends to put out polished final products), i was concerned they were trying to put together a case to either clean you up or close you down.

in defense of the interview -- sure, it turned out to be a crap interview, but what journalist hasn't had an interview fall flat on its face? even with a more fascinating subject.

i thought you used the lesson well -- admitting to the failure and in particular following up with Jancee Dunn which was a good primer for the layperson about how journalists get a decent interview with rock musicians, who sometimes are not all that articulate or even that interesting.

sometimes it's just nice to see a bit more about the process of producing journalism, with its flaws and screw-ups.

how often do we hear elsewhere on NPR the outtakes, the flubs, and everything else, but the clean...and sometimes rather bland product. 'on the media' once did a nice segment about how they use audio editing to make everything sound as seamless as it does for their show.

unfortunately, sometimes we forget how the genius can be lurking in the ruptures.

Sent by josh machleder | 3:21 AM ET | 11-14-2007

Congrats on the brave decision. We in Seattle look forward to having you home! In your honor... it's raining today.

Sent by Fred Northup, Jr. | 8:01 AM ET | 11-14-2007

Sorry to see you go Luke. You were the 'anti-NPR' host, and one of the reason I loved the show. Good luck.

Sent by G | 8:27 AM ET | 11-14-2007

I'll admit, I also poured a 40 out for the loss of Luke Burbank on the BPP. But I think it was a smart and caring choice for you and your family. Please keep doing "Wait, Wait..." from time to time, though!

Sent by Sarah | 9:58 AM ET | 11-14-2007

that vid is great!!

how do i go about applying for your job?

good luck, luke

Sent by diane maggipinto | 10:38 AM ET | 11-14-2007

I just found your show online and listen to it in the morning when I get to work. Now I am sad. For me. I have a feeling that the stuff I like about Luke as a radio host is probably the same stuff about him that pushed him to this decision. I know I couldn't live 3000 miles from my cat. (I don't have kids - not trying to equate the two).

Sent by Vanessa | 11:45 AM ET | 11-14-2007

Sad news, But a tip of the hat for making a tough decision to be the good father all those hip-hoppers never had. Thanks Luke.

Not to move on, but I definitely hope the Deciders there are putting Mike Pesca at the top of the pile to get the call. His style and "knowledge of stuff" are distinctive and good too.

Sent by Wally | 1:37 PM ET | 11-14-2007

Hey Luke,

Kinda of an impersonal way to pass along a message, but I wanted to let you know that I received the link to your video. And I have to say I am so touched by your decision to head back to Seattle to spend more time with Addie! Way to go Luke! You have always been such a wonderful father to her and I know she's got to be pumped to be able to see you more often. (Though I'll probably hear less of the adventures with her father in Florida during hurricane season et...) Hopefully our paths will cross when I'm back in Seattle for a visit myself!

Best of Luck,
Kim Keith (Kim Kelly) ;-)

Sent by Kim Keith (Kim Kelly) | 3:05 PM ET | 11-14-2007

Well Luke, good decision on this, you gotta take care of family first, so I applaud you. To be honest I have mixed feelings about this. I have listened since day one (the interview Luke did on student loans). Luke is such a big part of the BPP. At the same time Luke does things that drive me crazy, like sharing his stories about his days covering congress when the interviewee is the expert, or yelling "McShane!!" repeatedly. Yet, there were time that I was very impressed with Luke's interviews. Suffice it to say Luke will be missed, the BPP will not be the same with out him. Like most of us, when we move on from some job, the person who comes in behind us brings a different perspective, a different set of skills which may result in improvement.

Luke I hope you are staying with NPR and I hope you will be a regular contributor to the BPP. I look forward to hearing your reports and your voice.

Jim

Sent by Jim Trenton | 4:22 PM ET | 11-14-2007

Without Luke, this show is likely doomed, particularly if he's replaced by Mike Pesca. Best wishes to you, Luke.

Sent by Matt | 9:25 PM ET | 11-14-2007

Dearest Big Brother,
I am so proud of you. Making this decision to move back to Seattle is the most impressive thing I have ever seen you do. Even more impressive than seeing you wear my bikini bottoms as a speedo back in high school.
No but seriously, I am so impressed and have come to respect you all the more. What a huge life changing decision for both you and Addie. You really are a wonderful father.
Just remember, if you are having trouble finding a job, I'm sure Sarah could pull some strings with her old connections at Wendy's. You could hook us up on some awsome Frosties. Righteous.
I love you so much and can't wait for you to live closer!

Sent by Hannah Burbank | 12:24 AM ET | 11-15-2007

I was thinking Mike Pesca would be great, imho.

Sent by Jim Trenton | 8:51 AM ET | 11-15-2007

We'll miss you around here, Luke. I can't deal with WNYC and their boring parade of the Brian Lehrers & Leonard Lopates of the world. It's awesome to have the BPP on Sirius--which has a hipper NPR anyway.

Go out west and be happy with your kid. Don't forget to make another show out there that we can listen to on the way home at night. How about the Public Market Project or something?

Is there any way we can vote on Luke's replacement? Let's make that person earn that spot.

Sent by Renee | 11:56 AM ET | 11-15-2007

I just got back from out of town... Luke, we'll miss you on the B double P, but good on ya for placing your daughter before your job.

Are you staying with NPR?

Sent by Steve Petersen | 2:31 PM ET | 11-15-2007

Isn't this what all the pols say when they're being booted from office? "I want to spend more time with my family"?

Yawn. How cliche.

Sent by Wodewick | 2:59 PM ET | 11-15-2007

Luke, I hope you've got another radio gig lined up out here in Seatown. It'll be great to have you right here in our backyard.

If not, let me throw this out: go hook up with Ross Reynolds. (Not literally.) The two of you might be a perfect combo for a semi-serious, semi-snarky news analysis show. You're boisterous and, y'know, loud enough to balance out Ross' dry wit. Seriously - this could work.

This was funny and yet, I found myself a little choked up. I've not been this excited about a NPR show since I stumbled across This American Life. Wishes for continued success for the BPP (boompity boomp boomp) and congratulations to you for going home to your kid.

Sent by Sky Bluesky | 12:04 AM ET | 11-16-2007

Too bad it couldn't be Allison leaving...Luke was the only bearable part of this show.

Sent by Pat | 6:40 PM ET | 11-16-2007

During a guest gig, I was thinking to myself: why don't they dump Luke "The Interwebs" Burbank and keep Mike Pesca? Maybe we'll get to see that. I think there's a difference between light (Alison) and fluffy (Luke). Sorry, and good luck to The Luke Burbanks anyway.

Sent by Marc Naimark | 6:24 PM ET | 11-18-2007

Hey, I like Allison. She is the best part of the show!

Sent by Jim Trenton | 12:38 AM ET | 11-19-2007

A few people have rightly mentioned Mike Pesca as a good choice for possible future co-host. But I want to throw some props Robert Smith's way, too. I think he's doing a great fill-in job and would be a fine addition. I hope they are both on the short list. If they want to be.

Still, it hurts my heart to think of a permanently Lukeless BPP.

Sent by Maura | 8:51 PM ET | 11-19-2007

way back when another radio showed AIRed...early in the morn one of your fine young men put in lots of AIR time and perhaps he's got the "passion" for the post! d-a-n-???

Sent by jay | 2:51 PM ET | 11-20-2007

I second the vote for Robert Smith. The past two shows (11/19 and 11/20) have been the best BPP shows so far.

Sent by Kate | 4:44 PM ET | 11-21-2007

Very sad to see Luke leave the show. His partnership with Allison and witty contributions to the show will be very hard to replace. I mean, how many people can pull out a pun using the Yogi greeting of "Namaste" out of nowhere? I sincerely hope that sometime guest host Mike Pesca is not brought on full time. Mike can be funny, but I just find him mean-spirited and snarky in many interviews and commentary segments. He's fine as occasional host, but for what it's worth the show would lose at least one steady listener if he were appointed to the second anchor chair permanently.

Sent by Matt | 1:21 PM ET | 12-15-2007

Oh, Mike Pesca was great as a guest host. As much as I'll miss Luke (best of luck!), I think Pesca would be a fine replacement.

Sent by maria | 6:23 PM ET | 12-16-2007

Waiting for Godot or Luke Burbank....or Just waiting. Missed the "Good Byes"
thought you would resurface in a new incarnation...which you will as dahood brings the circle of news to a budding new lad. Hey good luck and come back before he goes to Harvard.....Eliz

Sent by Eliz. Burbank ,East Coaster | 7:57 PM ET | 01-07-2008